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Martian Manhunter

By Brittany Rose


Note: Click the thumbnails to see the art in full size. Some files are up to 250K

This month we’re looking at one of the older DC Superheroes who is experiencing new popularity these days Martian Manhunter.

The Martian Manhunter first appeared in Detective Comics #225 (November 1955). He is similar to Superman in that he had many of Superman’s abilities flight, super-strength, near invulnerability, and vision powers. He is also supposedly the last surviving member of his world, in this case, Mars. However there are some key differences. First, he’s green, and certainly more alien looking. (His true appearance is actually much more alien, but he’s adapted to fit in among humans.) Second, his powers are slightly different. He’s telepathic, can turn invisible, is vulnerable to fire, and what interests us, he is a shapeshifter.

In his early days, he didn’t use his shapeshifting to change genders (at least I haven’t been able to find any examples), but in recent years he’s done a surprising amount. I’d like to think that it’s a sign of an increasing openness in society towards gender. Where formerly someone crossing genders just wasn’t portrayed, nowadays, it’s done without a second thought.

Before we look at a few of his crossgender appearances, just a couple of notes. First, there will be some spoilers here, as usual. If it’s in this column, more than likely there will be someone in disguise. Second, in most cases of shapeshifters in comics, the transformation takes place between panels. In one panel you see the beautiful girl, and in the next, the shapeshifter in his normal appearance. Since I’ve given you an example of his superhero appearance, we’ll only be showing the before-change pictures most of the time.

So Sue Me! Or Lora Me, Or...

One example of an earlier gender change occurs in Justice League Quarterly #6 (Spring 1992). The Elongated Man, a stretchable hero, has a reputation for solving amazing mysteries, especially on his birthday. On this particular birthday his wife, Sue, disappears right before his eyes. The story then follows his efforts to track her down with the help of some superhero friends. At the end he discovers that it was all a hoax. The "Sue" that disappeared was the Martian Manhunter in disguise who vanished by simply turning invisible.

This past year, the Manhunter has been switching genders with amazing frequency. For example, in the Martian Manhunter Annual #1 (October 1998) he needs to get close enough to a woman to use his telepathic powers. He changes into an overweight middle-aged woman who needs to use the phone.

And in an Elseworlds story, JLA: The Nail #2, (September 1998) a beautiful well-endowed blonde applies for a job at a secret facility. She almost has the job locked up when another hero breaks in, and she changes into the Manhunter to try to same him. Fortunately, in this instance we get to see the Manhunter as he changes shape.


I’d Love To, But I Don’t Date People I Fight Crime With

The most prominent gender crossing the Manhunter has done this year has been in a 12 issue miniseries JLA: Year One a behind-the-scenes look at the members of the Justice League of America during their first year together. In the first issue we discover that each of the members has someone insinuating themselves into their private lives in order to spy on them. For Green Lantern it is an attractive blonde investigator for the FAA named Lora Denton. She introduces herself in issue #1 and in #4 she shows up again and mildly flirts with Green Lantern until someone walks in on them. We see a panel of her in #7 and also in #8 when it is revealed that all of the spies, including Lora are the Manhunter in disguise. (Bet you didn’t see that coming!) The Manhunter has one more gender change in issue #11. In order to confound their foes, the Justice League switches identities, with the Manhunter changing into the beautifully female Black Canary. Here we also see a transition shot as the Manhunter is in mid-change, half Canary and half Manhunter.

Currently, stories about the Martian Manhunter have emphasized that he is an alien in a human world. So for him, changing genders is not any bigger stretch than his daily existence pretending to be a human being.

Now that you’ve been introduced to the Martian Manhunter, we’ll return to him in a few months with a couple of fun special appearances a live action sequence on a failed television pilot, and a funny two-parter that was comics answer to The Crying Game. Up next, in time for Halloween, a couple of appropriate horror stories. See you then!

Remember, all copyrights belong to the original publishers, but any comments or requests, please send to me at BrittTV@aol.com.

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